


Nothing Broken, Nothing Lost

by Hedgi



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Gen, Human for a day fic, Kinda, Potato verse fic, happy fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-18
Updated: 2015-12-18
Packaged: 2018-05-07 12:02:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,365
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5455796
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hedgi/pseuds/Hedgi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Set during "Human for a day" companion to "Hot Potato"<br/>Cat Grant is grateful for the tiny furball of a Catco mascot when disaster strikes. Sometimes the best comfort in the world is human kindness, and a purring cat.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Nothing Broken, Nothing Lost

**Author's Note:**

  * For [KennaM](https://archiveofourown.org/users/KennaM/gifts).



> context: Potato is a kitty that Kara found and basically CatCo just sort of adopted. Because kittenfic is grand.

Cat Grant had been unsure, at first, of allowing her assistant’s little pet project, the kitten she’d found and brought in, but part of her—a very small part—had thought it was sweet. And it had brought moral up, having the little munchkin cat around the offices, passed from desk to desk as if they though she wouldn’t notice. If anything, her workers had gotten more productive, less stressed, and honestly, that was acceptable. Besides, the next time she needed a fluff piece to show the public that she was, in fact, human—with a soul, even, imagine that, it might be useful to be able to show off the story of the orphaned kitten, brought in and given affection from an entire office.  
  
Also, the little furball was adorable, and honestly, only some demon like her mother would be able to say no to that face. So the cat—she was fairly certain her assistant—Kellie? Kerra?—called it “Potato”—stayed, and was, on occasion, welcomed into the office. Now more than ever, Cat Grant was glad she’d made the executive decision to allow it, because the world was falling apart, and the feel of the warm, soft fur under her hand was soothing.  
  
Supergirl was missing, the city was a disaster zone, people were dying out there, and she didn’t have the luxury to be afraid, or panicky. The IT was working on getting a livefeed set up, so that she could say her own piece, tell people what they needed to hear, what they should hear, not more fearmongering from that Maxwell Lord idiot.  
  
The kitten—she was _not_ going to call it Potato—purred louder than ever, nuzzling her hand and blinking slowly, as if she thought to reassure. Well, at least she wasn’t running around, getting underfoot and needing reassurance herself, but honestly, where was Kerri? Kerri—Kira? Kaya?—should be the one taking care of the cat right now, she had a speech to write and shove as much pathos in as possible.  
  
But no. No, she liked having the warmth, the gentle rumble. She had to tell hundreds of thousands of people things would be alright if they sought the higher ground, if they worked together, helped each other, took care of each other. It was nice to have someone, even just a cat, to offer that same comfort. She was really going to have to thank Kara when she returned from wherever she was. Not hiding. That honestly wasn’t the girl’s style. No doubt she was on another floor, doing what she could even with that cold and broken arm.  
  
And the speech she’d started to scrawl out was not “stuffed” with pathos like a middle schooler’s diary, or an idealist’s op-ed. She had to appeal to the public, yes, and God, pathos was a tool for the time, but not if it was forced. It couldn’t be forced, or scripted, not today.

“Mom!” Cat’s heart jolted as the IT stepped aside and her _son_ barreled in, clothing mussed, one shoe missing. The kitten—not _Potato_ honestly—leaped down with a thump as Cat pulled Carter into a hug.

“Carter, what on—“ She demanded. Carter was supposed to be _safe._

“They sent everyone who could get home, home, and—and Mrs. Rose dropped me off, cuz the school’s too close to another fault line and they worried, and I knew the way, and, and Supergirl’s gone, and I was worried about you, and Mr. Winn and Ms. Kara,” He said into her shoulder, more trembly than he had been since the last time she’d picked him up after one of the bullies had tried to punch him. Cat had made certain that Scotty Blanch had been expelled for that stunt. Over her son’s shoulder, Cat gave the IT guy a stern look. It wouldn’t do for anyone to think her weak or uncomposed for comforting her child. He seemed to understand, busying himself with his job.  
  
“Carter, I know you’re scared, sweetie. But everything’s going to be alright. From what people tell me, you were very, very brave on that train, and I need you to be brave today, too, ok? I know that Supergirl is—not here right now. She’s only one person, and there’s a lot of disaster going around. So what we all have to do is our best without her. We made it through a lot before she was here, or Superman, for that matter. And what do all those books you read always say?”

“That everyone can be a hero, even if it’s not in a big way?” Carter wrinkled his nose, still breathing too quickly and shallowly for comfort. Cat couldn’t blame him for being afraid. “But those are stories. This isn’t like Harry Potter or Star Wars or, or Epicish or Tortall, or—“  
“Stories come from somewhere,” Cat said, “from this world. All those writers live in this world—well, maybe they don’t think they do, but that’s not the point. That message is what we have to all believe in, or—well, things may get worse.” She didn’t bother to sugar coat the truth, she never did. “I have to give a statement, ok? Here.” With a flash of inspiration, she lifted the cat from the ground. “I told you about our mascot, right? Why don’t you keep her safe for us, ok?  I bet someone has some treats you can give her. Just stick close, and be careful.”

Carter took the kitten from his mom and rubbed her head gently. She purred at him, nestling into his arms and licking at his arm. He managed a laugh, flinching at how it tickled “What’s her name?”  
“Potato,” Cat sighed. “Her name’s Potato.”  
Carter hugged Potato close for the rest of the day, tucking her under his chin and whispering the words of his mom’s speech to her as if he could translate them. The kitten calmed him, and he hoped he calmed her, even when a second aftershock shook the building. She clung to him as they hurried from the building, and he could see the smoke.   
“It’s ok, it’s ok, it’s ok,” Cat whispered to her son, and Carter whispered to the cat. Repeating the words made them seem more true.  
  
Cat hadn’t meant to leave him alone, but she found a safe, sheltered place and hugged him again. “I need to go make sure everyone’s ok. Can you wait here for a minute?” looking around, she spotted the IT guy who had helped. “You work for me, yes? Make sure nothing happens to my son.” She hardly gave him time to nod before taking off as swiftly as heels would allow. A quick circuit, make sure everyone was accounted for, and thank God they all were. She may not know all their names, but the heads of departments had lists and records, and it seemed that they at the very least had listened to her words, supporting each other. She had expected that. She was, after all, a voice of reason, someone to be listened to. She expected the noise, and the chaos, and the helping.  
There was another aftershock tremor, and Cat Grant ditched her heels and ran toward the plaza where she’d left Carter and  the techy.  
She did not expect to see Supergirl offering Potato her hand to sniff, and her son comfort, but there it was, and she allowed her heartbeat to calm, just enough.  
“I bet your mom is so proud of you, for being so brave,” the hero was saying. “I have to go and help, but she’ll be back soon, I’m sure of it. Take good care of your kitty.”  
And Supergirl was gone, shooting off toward another pillar of smoke, another catastrophe.  
“Mom, Supergirl likes cats,” Carter explained as Potato circled in his lap.  
He was alright. He was safe. Supergirl had returned, but even without her, stories still poured in of everyday kindnesses, of small acts of heroism. Potato blinked, fluffy and soft, circled up with her tail brushing against Cat’s arm as she sat down to check her bleeding feet.   
Everything was going to be alright.

**Author's Note:**

> Happy birthday Kenna, hope you like it! It kinda got away from me....


End file.
